Website of the Week for December 20, 2010: Do2Learn

              Website:  http://www.do2learn.com:  Do2Learn

I.                    Background Information:  
      For over ten years Do2Learn has, through funding from numerous sources including the National Institutes of Health, used technology and the web to supply special learning resources for individuals with disabilities and the professionals and caregivers who serve them.  They have collaborated with teachers, parents, and clinicians to develop serious games and learning material targeting specific deficits of individuals with neurological disorders including autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, fetal alcohol effects, OCD, attention disorders, learning and communication disorders and others.  The deficits that they address include risky and disruptive behavior as well as lack of appropriate social, communication and daily living skills.

II.                Overview of the Website:
      The Internet offers a lot of great resources for educators, parents, caregivers, clinicians, students, and any individual looking to find more information regarding specific topics. However, sometimes it is hard to find time to find fabulous websites like Do2Learn.  This website is filled with innovative activities, great advice to families, versatile lessons, and so much more to individuals with disabilities, and the professionals and caregivers that serve them.  Do2Learn provides a one of a kind, one stop learning experience that creates an environment where the individual does not have to look any further, because it targets so many audiences and highlights a variety of topics.  The end result is more time is allotted to learning instead of spending time trying to search multiple websites for different topics.

III.             Topics Covered on the Website:
      Do2Learn’s website is easiest to navigate with the use of the site map, which has all of the topics covered on the website in a format that is organized and easy to use.  Since this site has so much great information, I will highlight on a few areas and then the rest is left for you to explore and have fun.

►       Disabilities:  Advice (Advice to different questions), Books (Covering a variety of different topics), Diagnosis (Different diagnosis including the definition, diagnosis/characteristics, characteristics and strategies) Family Advocacy (Legal Rights, Handout & Autism Card, Abbreviations), Teacher Toolbox.

►      Activities: 

§         Art Projects (Dot Art, How to Draw, Marble Art, Rubbing Art, String Art, Veggie Art),

§         Card Games (Computation, Sequencing, Number Recognition, Categorizing, Visual Scanning),

§         Fine Motor Skills (Bubble Activity, Fine Motor Recycling, Golf Peg Push In, Macaroni Put In, Wiffle Ball Snatch & Drop)

§         Learn (Clock, Door Signs, Phone Number Helper)

§         Math Helpers (Grid Paper, Numbers, Addition/Subtraction Table, Multiplication Table, Vertical Number Line)

§         Reading & Writing (Alphabet, Alphabet Guide, Read Order, Writing Paper)

§         Shape Recognition (Activity Sheets, Shape Bingo, Shape Book, Shape Matching, Shape People, Shape Tracing)

§         Social Emotional Skills (Classroom Activities, Worksheets)

§         Sorting & Matching (Baby Food Jars, Clothes Pin Colors, Color Matching)

►       Songs & Games:  For all of the songs and games listed below it is organized

§         Songs:  Bus Safety, Mall Safety, Parts of Me, Street Safety, Fire Safety.  All of the songs have an animated video that is colorful and engaging.  Some of the songs have accompanying activities and downloadable pictures that correspond to each verse.

§         Games:  Color/Number Games (How Many?, What Color?, Math Mahjong), Emotion Games (Facial Expressions, Feelings Game), Sequence Game (Time Sequence Game), and Word Games (Create a Room, Synonyms & Antonyms, Word Pairs, What’s Different?).  All of the games have colorful graphics, great visuals, and a lot of positive reinforcement.

§         Sounds Sing-A-Long:  Videos that add a new creative twist to assist children with pronnounciation difficulties with consonants and/or vowels.

►       Get Organized:  The categories that are included under this section include the following:

§         Classroom:  different ways to build a classroom, behavior management, games and activities, educational resources.

§         Daily Organizers:  various organization charts

§         Emotions Color Wheel (one of my favorites):  this wheel helps individuals to visually group feelings and to learn more about each feeling you can click on the word.

§         Teacher Toolbox:  collection of classroom management techniques, learning strategies and educational resources.

§         Set up: activity choice board, communication folder, home teaching kit, leisure games, schoolwork communication folder, weekend schedules, work system.

§         Social Skills Toolbox:  improving communication skills, improving social behavior, graphic organizers and tools, social skills for younger kids.

►       Picture Cards: Ready to use picture cards (i.e. safety, home & school, social) for communication.  If you do not see the category that you are looking for then feel free to print your own on blank image grids.  An overview is provided regarding the different ways you can use the picture cards and various ways of implementing them in daily activities.

►       Products:  I found that the products offered on the website were reasonably priced.  Some of the categories of the products that are offered on Do2Learn include:  learning (i.e. color bingo, site words, prepositions), books (i.e. Fine Motor Skills, Feelings Journal, Handbook for New Teachers), picture cards (i.e. food, therapy, doctors), make a schedule subscription, and software (i.e. name that object, letter match, fantastic faces). 

            Do2Learn provides many opportunities for growth in learning, new ideas, and exploration of a variety of free resources.  This all-inclusive website provides a community for individuals ready and willing to explore new ways to learn.  Thank you to the creators of Do2Learn for investing the time in creating a website full of remarkable resources!